(The biggest change is Kudo Tōya himself—he didn’t even exist in the original story. Or maybe he did, but he must’ve been eliminated early on.)
(But because of me, Kudo Tōya somehow advanced all the way up here. Judging by his performance, his strength has clearly made a huge leap.)
(The most direct butterfly effect—the monk who should’ve qualified has been completely replaced by Kudo Tōya.)
Meanwhile, Aoshi Tokimitsu and Jyubei Aryu spoke up one after another.
“This is insane! The opponents are actual professional defenders!”
“Hah, a do-or-die gamble ? I kinda dig it!”
On the big screen, Jinpachi Ego scoffed.
“Quiet! Watch your words!”
“I’m not some clueless fool without a plan—”
“I’ll be forming a team to represent ‘Blue Lock,’ built around the next six players I name as the core.”
“These six are the current overall ‘TOP 6.’”
“In just three weeks, we’ll forge a real team—”
“This is the most logical gamble. Now, those whose names I call—step forward!”
As Ego spoke, the display shifted, revealing a cartoon-style avatar.
“First, the player ranked No.1 overall—Ryūma Banjō!”
Ryūma couldn’t hide his grin, his eyes sliding toward Rin Itoshi.
“What’s wrong, everyone? Come on, give me some applause~”
The rest of the room ignored him completely, except for Yo Hiori, who actually clapped.
“Congrats, Ryūma. You really earned it.”
“Haha, as expected, right? Totally deserved!”
Before Ryūma could keep boasting, Jinpachi Ego continued,
“Next, ranked No.2—Rin Itoshi!”
Rin didn’t look the least bit pleased; his expression went ice-cold.
No wonder—Ryūma was just standing there, grinning from ear to ear without saying a word.
“Congrats, Rin! You’re incredible—second place, huh? But… but…”
“Have you ever heard the saying, ‘Who remembers the runner-up?’”
“Oh, right—maybe only you would…”
Before Ryūma could finish, Yo Hiori rushed over and covered his mouth.
“Uh, Rin, don’t listen to him. Second place is great! I’ll definitely remember you’re second.”
Rin’s eye twitched, a vein pulsing on his forehead. He’d never hated the number “2” this much in his life.
Just then, Jinpachi Ego’s voice cut through the tension, saving Rin from snapping.
“Ranked No.3—Ryusei Shido!”
“Here I come, ta-da~”
Ryusei Shido strode forward with a smirk, eyes fixed on Ryūma.
“So, Ryūma Banjō’s the top dog, huh?”
Ego tapped his fingers against the desk.
“Ranked No.4—Kudo Tōya!”
Shido was the first to call out, laughing.
“Haha, Tōya! I’m one rank above you, so you’d better pass me the ball!”
“Shut it, demon. I’ll pass when it’s worth it—but don’t count on it when it’s not.”
From afar, Ryūma stared at them in disbelief. It wasn’t their banter that stunned him—it was Kudo Tōya’s placement.
(No way. This guy’s ability is just reading the game well, right? Wait… I never actually figured out his skill during that match…)
(I had a feeling he was improving, but I didn’t expect his ability to push him all the way to Blue Lock’s TOP 4.)
Yoichi Isagi ignored the chatter, anxiously waiting for the next name.
“Next, ranked No.5—Tabito Karasu!”
Karasu smiled faintly at Ego.
“You’ve got a good eye for once, idiot~”
Yoichi’s pulse quickened.
(Top 6… that means there’s only one spot left.)
(Ego’s picking the core members who’ll form the base of the team.)
(I want to be one of them—I want to be the last one chosen!)
“Lastly, ranked No.6—Eita Otoya!”
Otoya simply replied,
“That’s all for the TOP 6.”
As Ego finished, Kenyu Yukimiya raised his hand with a questioning look.
“Uh, Mr. Ego! For the sake of understanding the future, I’d like to ask something directly.”
“Why am I ranked outside the Top 6? What’s the difference between me and first place?”
Ego nodded calmly before replying.
“Simple. Among the 35 remaining players, only two managed to score against Team World Five.”
On the screen, Ego pointed toward two players in the room.
“Rin Itoshi and Ryusei Shido.”
“And Ryūma Banjō is the only one who scored twice against them.”
“Then, rankings also take into account total goals from the first selection onward and the personal evaluations from the five Team World Five players.”
“Lastly, my own judgment. Clear enough, four-eyed gentle model?”
Yukimiya smiled and nodded.
“Crystal clear. Thanks!”
Then, Ego conjured another display on the screen and announced,
“Alright, time to begin the next phase of selection!”
“First, divide the six by rank into three tiers—A, B, and C.”
“Two players per tier, forming three teams in total.”
“Next, the remaining twenty-nine players may freely choose which team they wish to join.”
“Once you’ve decided, report your choice to me.”
“Then I’ll randomly assign three additional players to each team, forming five-member squads.”
“Once the teams are formed, you’ll face each other in five-on-five matches.”
Yoichi immediately understood Ego’s intention.
(So that’s it… he’s using this method to find the ideal teammates who complement the TOP 6’s playstyles.)
Then Ego raised a finger as if remembering something.
“However, technically speaking, the TOP 6 will play in several matches.”
“The other twenty-nine, however, will only get one shot.”
“This is the final mission of the revised Third Selection—”
He opened his palm, six portraits appearing above it as he declared,
“Adaptive training for the right to face the Japan National Team!”